Umpire believes ejecting Gausman was warranted to 'end this stuff'

Kevin Gausman may have deemed the call to be bush league, but home plate umpire Sam Holbrook stood by his decision to eject the Baltimore Orioles starter from Wednesday's game after plunking Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a 77-mph curveball.

"Just given the situation and the tension between the two clubs and all the stuff that's gone over the past few weeks, we're all on high alert with anything," Holbrook told a pool reporter following the Red Sox's 4-2 win.

"I know that the ball was a curveball, but it hit him square in the back and just making a split decision at that point right there, there needs to be an end to this stuff, and I felt like an ejection was the right thing to do at that time, and that's what we did. Thankfully, we didn't have any more problems the rest of the game."

Bogaerts was hit by the pitch to lead off the second inning, and Gausman said he didn't even realize that he was ejected at first. When he realized that his night was over, Gausman became upset and exchanged words with Holbrook.

Tensions between the two teams have spilled over since an earlier series that saw Manny Machado spike Dustin Pedroia on a slide at second. The Red Sox retaliated later that series with reliever Matt Barnes throwing behind the head of Machado - a pitch Barnes received a four-game suspension for.

During the series opener Monday, Orioles starter Dylan Bundy hit Mookie Betts with a pitch in the leg, and Chris Sale responded Tuesday by throwing behind Machado which prompted a warning to both teams from the league.